Using Body Mass Index to Identify and Address Obesity in Asian Americans: One Size Does Not Fit All.

Abstract

EditorialsNovember 2022Using Body Mass Index to Identify and Address Obesity in Asian Americans: One Size Does Not Fit AllChristina C. Wee, MD, MPHChristina C. Wee, MD, MPHSenior Deputy Editor, Annals of Internal Medicine, Vice President, Annals Division of the American College of PhysiciansSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M22-2624 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Obesity is among the leading causes of preventable deaths, a focus of research, and a public health priority in the United States and worldwide. Despite this, the United States has paid insufficient attention to the problem of obesity in Asian Americans, the country's most rapidly growing ethnic group, in part because of the perception that they are at low risk for obesity and its adverse health effects. The United States did not consistently track the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Asian Americans until the past decade (1). In their article, Shah and colleagues (2) report a study that suggests ...